EDITORIAL
It has been a rough road since May 3, 1999.
It was the day, now forever etched in Costa Mesa history, when Steven
Allen Abrams steered his Cadillac onto a preschool playground, killing
two children and injuring many others.
The impact of the incident on the community is still felt in the heavy
hearts of those who remember the scene and the shudders of those who
followed the trial.
With a murder conviction against Abrams, and the jury’s recommendation
that Abrams spend the rest of his life behind bars, there is a collective
sigh of relief.
Some wanted the killer to get the death penalty. Others want him to
live for years, haunted by the sweet, innocence of his victims Sierra
Soto, 4, and Brandon Wiener, 3.
But regardless of the sentence -- which will be formally handed down
by the judge next month -- the end of the trial signals the beginning of
the healing process.
For friends and family of Sierra and Brandon, the future can now
begin.
Their mothers, Cindy Soto and Pam Wiener, have taken steps toward
tomorrow. They are memorializing their beloved children by trying to
ensure the safety of others. Through Sierra’s Light Foundation, they have
been raising funds to build fences around day-care centers.
Now, Soto and Wiener are prepared to lobby for state legislation,
based on Kendra’s Law in New York, that would work to keep mentally ill
patients like Abrams from ever becoming killers.
The two mothers have dedicated their lives to protecting children.
Their love, not only for Sierra and Brandon, but for all youngsters,
is ever-expanding. Their strength is irrepressible.
And the road ahead of them is by no means an easy one. But they will
walk it with the support and admiration of the community.
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